Children's Home run by Windows For Children Ltd in Medway

Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 1 Registered provider: Windows For Children Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care for up to eight children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were four children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

The home refers to the staff as ‘grown-ups’. The report reflects the language used in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 25 October 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2023 Full Good 31/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from thoughtful and nurturing care. Grown-ups are child-focused in their approach. This has helped children develop strong relationships with the grown-ups, who understand the children’s needs and worries. They spend time with them, providing comfort and reassurance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s lives are filled with play. Grown-ups encourage children to play and have a fun range of experiences. Children talk positively about playing dress-up with grown-ups. They enjoy the large garden and playing in the swimming pool and go on trips out to castles and the beach. There is a new outside racing track in the garden, and children enjoy racing each other in go-karts. One child’s social worker said that their child ‘appears happier’ since living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress. Grown-ups help children to learn from mistakes and develop their social and emotional skills. Children are developing an understanding of social rules and communication skills, to enable them to talk about their feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Grown-ups promote education. Managers work with local authorities to ensure that there are plans in place for children to return to school. Children are provided with tutoring in the home and are prepared for returning to school. One child who attends school has made progress with their education. There is a ‘learning lab’ in the garden which provides space for children to do educational activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves for children are well planned. Managers carefully assess the needs of children moving in and consider the needs of the other children already living in the home. Grown-ups put a lot of thought and effort into welcoming the children. Children have highly personalised bedrooms of which they are tremendously proud. This results in a positive experience for children, and they settle in well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Plans for children’s care are regularly updated and reviewed. These are helpful in enabling grown-ups to understand the child’s life story and journey into care. They link the child’s trauma to the communication methods children may use when they are distressed. Grown-ups are aware of one child’s ethnicity and identity and explore this with them. However, information about this is not included in the child’s plan. This is a missed opportunity to record the work that has been done, should the child wish to access their records in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Grown-ups help children to maintain their relationships with their families. They help children to see their families, in accordance with their plans. Grown-ups prepare children for family time, to ensure that this is a positive experience. Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Grown-ups understand the children and their vulnerabilities and how to keep them safe, and regularly assess risks. These assessments do not always consider recent changes and incidents. However, this has not affected the safety of children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Grown-ups use audio surveillance systems to monitor children’s movements overnight. These include an audio system so that children can speak to grown-ups. This helps to manage risk and for grown-ups to respond quickly when children are in pain or have nightmares. The use of these systems is individually assessed, involving the views of the children and their professionals.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Following a medication error, leaders have reviewed their medication procedures. This has helped to strengthen their systems and reduce likelihood of any further errors. Arrangements for managing medication are safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Physical intervention is used often by grown-ups, for short periods, to keep children safe. Grown-ups record this well. The children are spoken to following an incident. Grown-ups involved in the incident comfort children and repair relationships afterwards. However, grown-ups do not always receive a debrief from an authorised person following an incident.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Leaders take concerns about grown-ups seriously. When allegations are made, these are investigated thoroughly and fairly. The outcomes of these investigations are shared with the local authority designated officer (LADO) and social workers. There is an arrangement with the LADO that not all allegations following the use of physical interventions are shared. However, this arrangement is not individualised and has not been reviewed. Children have not been put at risk due to this arrangement and plans are in place to review it.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When there is conflict between children, this is recognised quickly. Grown-ups put plans in place to reduce conflict. These plans include consequences and the use of restorative conversations. As a result, children are developing an understanding of safe social rules.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers recruit new grown-ups safely. They follow safer recruitment practices for both agency and permanent grown-ups. Children are involved in deciding interview questions for the applicants. These practices ensure that only suitable grown-ups care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management of the home has changed since the last inspection. A new manager has been appointed. They previously worked at the home as a deputy manager. The manager is experienced but not yet qualified. The manager has moved into the role seamlessly, providing stability for grown-ups and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose has not been reviewed to reflect the changes in management since the last inspection. This has not impacted on children. Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 5 The manager is visible in the home, and knows the children and grown-ups well. These relationships mean they understand the children’s progress. The manager works closely with the responsible individual. Together, they understand the strengths and the weaknesses of the home, and there are plans in place to develop the care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have a child centred ethos for the care of the children. One grown-up said leaders’ ‘ethos and values feed into the staff practice’. New grown-ups receive training in this ethos and the model of care is being embedded in practice. The children have regular time with the organisation’s life-story practitioner. There is a dedicated room for this meaningful and quality time with her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Grown-ups speak highly of the managers and the support they receive. They receive regular supervision and are trained to carry out their role. Grown-ups have had appraisals, which include feedback from the children about their performance. There is a strong emphasis on developing the skills of the grown-ups. They are given formal and informal opportunities to develop their knowledge. Some grown-ups are being supported to train as social workers while working at the home. The home’s workforce development plan has not been finished to outline these effective processes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals report effective collaborative working. Communication is strong with grown-ups. Professionals are confident in the grown-ups’ abilities to safeguard children and manage risks. These well-defined working relationships are having a positive impact on the care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are listened to. Grown-ups involve children in their care. They help the children to make age-appropriate decisions about their lives. Children can choose activities, how their room is decorated and their meals. Children are offered opportunities to make complaints and when they do, these are acted on by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not notified Ofsted of some serious events and there have been missed opportunities to let Ofsted know of other events. This has had no impact on the action taken by leaders to safeguard children. Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure staff are debriefed by an authorised person. 30 August 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure there are clear and individualised arrangements in place for the oversight of the management of allegations, including when to inform the LADO. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.18)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce- related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually assess the risks for children. These assessments should consider recent changes for the child and learning from incidents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is kept under review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’,

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Recommendations

page 15, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should ensure that care plans reflect children’s individual needs, taking into account their ethnicity and cultural background. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2) Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 7  The registered person should ensure that Ofsted is notified of serious incidents specified in regulation 40. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Windows For Children Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 90-92 King Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1BH

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Inspectors

Mark Dawkins, Social Care Inspector Cassie Martin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2559013 9 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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